WHo is DOING THIS?
The Commission is overseen by a Lived Experience Advisory Board.
bijayalaxmi
biswal
India
Bijaya is a medical doctor and mental health researcher from India, with experience of working with queer rights, indigenous communities, substance use disorders and depression. Currently she is working on a co-developed qualitative study studying the impact of caste discrimination on mental health, and an implementation trial that is scaling up treatment of depression in India. In her free time, she likes to lose herself in a documentary or non-fiction book!
Hope for the Commission:
My hope from the commission is that it will enable power sharing between those with lived experience and academia, establish intersectionality as a fundamental principle in mental health research, and assert that academia cannot remain apolitical.
isaac
lara
United States
Ernesto Isaac Lara is a youth wellbeing activist, lived experience researcher, and peer support advocate on a mission to create a happier, healthier global community. Rooted in his healing journey, Isaac has dedicated his early career to expanding access to peer support services and enhancing his knowledge of decolonial models of community healing. Isaac is currently a Research Assistant at the Mental Health for All Lab at Harvard Medical School, where he leads the EMPOWER Peer Support Initiative. This endeavor aims to develop a digital, global peer support curriculum to equip those with lived experience of recovery to support others earlier in their healing journey. Additionally, Isaac supports the development of peer support services by consulting organizations including Stanford Medicine, Flourish Labs, and additional groups.
Hope for the Commission:
I hope the Commission is a tool to advance the liberation of communities whose mental wellbeing has been weaponized, underserved, and ultimately limited our ability to flourish; it is time we have a seat at the table.
kat
mcintosh
Trinidad & Tobago
Kat is a passionate advocate and a proud member of the neurodivergent, mad-pride community. As a Black, plural-being residing in Trinidad and Tobago, she brings over eight years of dedicated activism to the forefront of lived experiences. With extensive training in peer support, including trauma-informed care, black mental health healing justice, and Emotional CPR, Kat leverages this rich background to facilitate both group and one-on-one support sessions. She has also been instrumental in developing the "Holding Space" training program for peer supporters, aiming to create environments that understand and bridge accessibility gaps, especially for individuals living with chronic pain, mental health conditions, and neurodivergence. Through her work, Kat strives to foster trauma sensitivity, compassion, and inclusion for historically marginalized communities. Describing her energy as that of a complex system disruptor, Kat has a deep appreciation for nuances, as well as a love for water, flowers, and all things gentle.
Hope for the Commission:
I hope that this work with the Commission will help future lived experience research prioritize the radically compassionate social justice ethos of the field, and by so doing, center the voices of historically excluded communities.
cenna
fikri
Indonesia
Cenna, from Jakarta, Indonesia, is the co-founder of hayVee, a foundation dedicated to creating a safe space for individuals grappling with mental health and sexual health issues, with a mission to enhance their quality of life and combat stigma and discrimination. Living with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Anxiety, Depression, and HIV for several years, his lived experience fuels his passion for advocating in the social impact sector. With a background in psychology, he is committed to improving mental health and sexual health landscapes in Indonesia.
Hope for the Commission:
I hope that the Commission will shape future involvement of people with lived experience in global mental health research, allowing for cultural adjustments to various contexts, including Indonesia, so that it will further combat stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health issues, ultimately improving quality of life for people with lived experience, and that the Commission's outputs can be replicated in other health research areas, such as HIV/AIDS.
james
downs
Wales
James is a mental health campaigner, peer researcher and expert by experience in eating disorders. He holds various roles at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, NHS England, and a number of universities and charities - all of which focus on developing collaboration across a range of professional and personal perspectives to improve mental health for all. James has written extensively about his own experiences, from textbook chapters and peer-reviewed research to blog posts and mainstream media features. He is also a yoga, dance and mindfulness teacher.
Hope for the Commission:
My hope for the commission is that it is positively disruptive: that by dismantling inequities in mental health research we can create more compassionate responses to lived experiences that are rooted in valuing a wider range of ways of knowing.
leila
sibai
England
Leila Sibai is a researcher and legal practitioner with experience in academic research, international law, and non-hierarchical management. She is currently pursuing a PhD in critical theory at the Centre for Research Architecture, Goldsmiths (CHASE studentship). Leila also works as a consultant on a variety of projects pertaining to Middle Eastern studies, international (criminal) law, gender, and mental health. Most of her work looks critically into the role of power structures in knowledge production and the persistence of violence and inequalities. She is also a co-founder and board member with Huquqyat, an advocate with the Syrian British Consortium, and an associate researcher with Traumascapes. Generally speaking, Leila is interested in practices of community and care in their ever-changing forms.
Hope for the Commission:
I hope the commission will increase visibility and promote more meaningful inclusion for individuals with lived experiences of violence and mental health conditions, while enabling the acknowledgement of the diversity of their experiences, cultural backgrounds, and the structural forms of violence they may have endured.
ella zoe
tsang
Hong Kong
Ella is a clinical psychologist at StoryTaler Hong Kong, a lecturer, and a mental health advocate with over a decade of lived experience with mental health challenges. She is passionate about reducing stigma and advocating for mental health rights, particularly for marginalized groups, and is attentive to oppressive practices in mental health care. She is also pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In addition to her clinical work, Ella is a part-time university lecturer and a florist. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology (Psychology) from the University of Hull, along with a Master of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Social Sciences in Clinical Psychology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Ella joined StoryTaler in 2020, aiming to promote mental health and reduce stigma.
Hope for the Commission:
My hope for this Commission is to ensure that the voices of individuals with lived experience are central to mental health research, policy, and practice. By prioritizing these perspectives, the Commission can address systemic failings that often marginalize voices in the mental health system. I envision the LEAB as a platform to embrace the complexity of lived experiences, fostering conversations rooted in kindness, compassion, and love. It is essential that the process itself reflects these core values, creating an environment where all advisors and members feel valued and heard. By bringing together diverse insights, the Commission has the opportunity to create an experience and documentation that genuinely represents the realities faced by individuals. Ultimately, I hope this Commission will pave the way for a paradigm shift in mental health care, promoting practices and policies that embody compassion and inclusivity, ensuring they better serve and support all individuals in need.
jesse
ofori
Ghana
Jesse is a passionate mental health advocate and peer researcher with extensive experience integrating lived experience into research and practice. He has been actively involved in mental health research and advocacy, contributing to some published research works. His commitment to mental health extends to community involvement as an Executive Member of PsychoSocial Africa, a vibrant grassroots advocacy and support group in Ghana. Jesse is Ghanaian and resides in Accra.
Hope for the Commission:
I hope the LEAB will foster a transformative approach in mental health research, deeply integrating lived experience to drive systemic, compassionate change that resonates globally.
maureen
gikonyo
Kenya
Maureen Gikonyo is a passionate young mental health advocate based in Kenya, deeply committed to instigating positive change and advancement in the realm of mental well-being. As the Global Youth Coordinator at citiesRISE, Maureen occupies a pivotal role in evaluating the needs of young people's mental health needs, both locally and globally, and facilitating citiesRISE youth leaders' connection with experts, professionals, stakeholders, and leaders in the field. In her capacity, Maureen actively supports youth-driven initiatives concerning mental health, striving to amplify the voices of young advocates by actively contributing to the formulation of youth-centric strategies and ensuring their inclusion in citiesRISE programs, which encompass research and advocacy endeavors. Maureen's enduring zeal lies in the transformation and empowerment of communities, particularly through mental health initiatives. She is committed to ensuring the full inclusion of young people with lived experiences, guided by principles of equality and non-discrimination, and ensuring that their voices are meaningfully integrated into decision-making processes. Maureen has spearheaded various youth-led campaigns and events, including the 2019 Mental Health Awareness Walk in Nairobi, which drew approximately 2000 participants advocating for mental health prioritization, and an intergenerational collaboration in mental health agenda in partnership with the Nairobi County Government and other stakeholders, as well as an Intersection of Art and Mental Health Event in 2022 in collaboration with the Ministry of Health- Division of Mental Health among others. In addition to her role at citiesRISE, Maureen serves as a valuable member of the Lived Experience Council of the Healthy Brain Global Initiative (HBGI). Here, she co-leads the communication and advocacy workstream, furthering her commitment to raising awareness and advocating for positive change in mental health. Maureen holds a Bachelor's degree in Education with a specialization in Special Needs Education. Currently pursuing her Master's in Public Health at AMREF International University, she demonstrates her dedication to expanding her knowledge and expertise in the field. Maureen's dynamic blend of education, advocacy, and hands-on experience renders her a formidable force in the endeavor to enhance mental health outcomes for young people and communities alike.
enoch
li
Hong Kong/Australia + China
Enoch is widely recognized for pioneering the workplace mental health conversation in China at a time when the topic was taboo, through founding Bearapy, an award-winning social enterprise that spearheaded consulting and psychosocial education services for organizations in China and Asia-Pacific. Her social impact work has increased awareness in the local community, particularly from a lived experience perspective. She now teaches the topic at INSEAD, interweaved with leadership development and organizational behaviour. By integrating the organizational development and group psychodynamics approaches, Enoch builds bridges between sectors to mobilize system shifts, such as changing the workplace environment that burn people out. Both Bearapy and herself has received multiple awards for her work in catalysing mental health awareness through Bearapy, her writing, and sharing her experience in depression. She has been featured and published in CNN, Harvard Business Review, Forbes, South China Morning Post, and China Radio International. For her own mental health, Enoch studies Chinese calligraphy, tackles jigsaw puzzles, and plays basketball. She lives in Beijing with her husband and two children.
Hope for the Commission:
My hope for the Commission is that we can be a voice that talks about the unspoken and suppressed thoughts and feelings that comes with mental health lived experience, and to be the stronghold when need be, against mainstream media that congregates around majority and leaves other valuable resources behind, so that we truly, represent every diverse opinion and be the forum where this diversity is engaged with, not just tolerated.
jijian
voronka
Canada
Dr. Jijian Voronka is Associate Professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary and Critical Studies at the University of Windsor, Canada. Her work uses interdisciplinary critical studies (including Mad Studies, Critical Disability Studies, and Critical Race Theory) to disrupt dominant and ‘common-sense’ approaches to disability and distress. Her research includes querying inclusion strategies of people with lived experience (PWLE) in mental health research, health, and social service systems.
Hope for the Commission:
By offering a blueprint on how to better build gratifying workplaces for PWLE, she hopes that the Commission will reduce experiences of harm and discrimination in the peer workforce.
sarah
rae
England
A poor inpatient experience spurred Sarah on to become involved in mental health research and quality improvement projects. She co-founded and co-led a restraint reduction programme, significantly reducing the use of force across one mental health trust. She was also a National Mind trustee for many years. Sarah initiated the National Institute for Health and Care funded MINDS study https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/minds-study/ and is currently Co-Chief Investigator. She is also the Patient and Public Involvement lead for the London-wide Safety and Equality in Mental Health Inpatient Settings project. Sarah is Chair of the Coproduction Council for the Cambridge-led, Medical Research Council-funded Mental Health Hub (ImmunoMind). As someone who has struggled with lifelong anxiety, she a co-applicant on a project seeking to find mind, brain and body pathways to anxiety. Sarah works with various other national and local organisations, including the Health Foundation, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the Academy of Medical Sciences.
Hope for the Commission:
To generate a rich bank of culturally relevant resources that extend the reach and raise the
standard of lived experience involvement while sparking debate, challenging systemic injustices, and shattering glass ceilings across the globe.
